Ran and I
by Hentai Y. Slave
Summary: Follow Ran & Ken’s everyday trouble at home and in school okay, mostly Ken is the one in the trouble. Ken: Hey where they discover love in the craziest way. AU, fluff, shonen-ai, RanXKen, Ken’s POV
1. Ran the head prefect? My icy adopted bro

Ran and I

By: Hentai Y. Slave

Genre: PG-13, shonen-ai, fluff, humor, AU

Pairing: implied RanXKen

Summary: (AU, fluff, shonen-ai, implied RanXKen) Follow Ran & Ken's everyday trouble in high school (okay, mostly Ken is the one in the trouble. Ken: Hey!) where they discover love in the craziest way. Chp1: Ran the head prefect? My icy adopted brother and the big soccer match! (Ken's POV in this chp)

Note: I'm not sure how old you are in high school (or whether there is a high school in Japan in the first place), but hey! It's an AU setting. There. By the way, I AM Hentai Slave, and I just created another account to put my Yaoi fics. That's what the Y in Hentai Y. Slave stands for. Yaoi.

(As of 30/8/04) I happened to read the first chapter again and realized my language sux

-.- thank goodness the second chapter's ok.. heavily edited if you've read this before..

Disclaimer: grumbles

I.DO.NOT.OWN.WEISS.KREUZ.OR.ANY.OF.ITS.CHARACTERS. Happy? But I do own this fic. Mwahahaha.

Chapter 1: Ran the head prefect? My icy adopted brother and the big soccer match!

I was standing on the freshly cut grass, warming up on the soccer field for the inter-school soccer match some time later. It was the finals for my team, and I was pretty nervous about it. I leaned down to stretch my legs, taking in the scent of the field in a deep breath. I always do that before a match to calm myself down and pray for good luck at the same time. Hasn't failed me so far.

I heard quiet (yet confident in some ways) footsteps coming from behind me. I knew it was Ran immediately. Perhaps it was due to the familiarity of his presence, and his unique silent aura that I have gotten used to (from living with him in the same house for more than ten years) which told me that it could only be him.

Why is he living with me, you ask. Well, when Ran was a small boy he had lived with his parents and his younger sister, Aya, somewhere downtown. Unfortunately, his family all perished in a car accident when Ran was only ten. Sad isn't it? My parents took pity on Ran and adopted him after they saw the news on TV.

When I first met him, he refuse to speak to me, just nodding or shaking his head in reply to my questions. I thought he was just shy, but it soonbecame apparentto me that he was the "strong silent" type. Not that I had anything against his quietness; I myself enjoy some peace and quiet once in a while, (which I found was easily obtainable hanging around him) but he can be dead quiet if he wants to. (If you ask me what silence was, I would make ten neon signboard arrows and point it to him. Haha.) Within a few years he got over the tragedies (I think), but he still maintains that unique silence.

Anyway, I turned to face him, giving him the best smile I could manage with my anxiousness (regarding the match) boiling inside me. We chatted for a while, and finally he wished me good luck in the end. I felt much better talking to him, even though most of his words were "Hn"s and "Aa"s. Geez.

"I promise to buy you ice-cream if you win," Ran said suddenly.

I must have over exaggerated my shock, because he gave me a big scowl seeing the look on my face. But I was really stunned. Ran is probably...no, he is THE most stingy person when it comes to money. He saves most of his allowance from my parents, and he rarely buys stuff, unless he can bargain his way through. He NEVER lends anyone money, not even to me, nether less give me an ice-cream treat.

Once sometime ago I DID ask him what he was saving so much money for. He gave me a serious expression and said that he was going to use it to buy a big house when he marries me after my parents die. I didn't really paid attention to the first part; because I was too busy knocking his head for saying "my parents die" part. The nerve of him speaking of my parent's death! Anyways, he does buy some things though, but he will spend hours looking at the item before finally deciding whether to buy it. This is often a no. Note of advice: Never go shopping with Ran.

So, he continued to scowl at me and murmuring under his breath something about not buying me ice-cream anymore. I didn't really protest, because I knew he would buy me ice-cream if I win; he has a thing for keeping promises. He thinks it is upholding justice. Geez, why hasn't someone knighted him yet..

"Good luck," he said. He was about to turn and walk off the field, but he stopped himself...and leaned forward to kiss me on the lips.

Mind you, it was just a quick peck on the lips, but it was enough to send a tingling sensation down my spine and make me blush like a school girl who got her first kiss. I told him frankly what I felt.

"I think that went right down to my toes," I managed to whisper out. He gave me a genuine bright smile and walked off. Ran, a man of few words, usually cold-hearted towards everyone, just gave me a smile. A real genuine smile.

Wow. That was weird. Plus the fact that he just kissed me.

Hmm...That can't be Ran. I won't believe it. No way.

While I was still rooted to the spot watching Ran go, some of my teammates and the opposing team members from another school came forward to talk to me. I was introduced to them; we shook hands and chatted a little. Actually, they were the ones trying to chat with me, while I was still in a daze looking at the direction the beautiful and stunning redhead walked off to.

Did I just say Ran was beautiful and stunning?

Err...I meant...oh come on! With that stunning red hair, those deep amethyst eyes, that angelic, well-chiseled face and perfect pale skin covering his gorgeous body (A/N: My, my kenken, getting a bit too detailed aren't you? Ken: Urusai! ), Ran is THE perfect bishonen. Dozens, no, hundreds of girls flock to him like bees to honey (and some guys too...I mustn't let him find out I had that thought...)

Me? Well, I'm just the ordinary brown hair and eyes soccer player. I do have a tanned skin and some muscularity which makes me look quite handsome, but I can't be compared to Ran...he's just more handsome. Speaking of tanned skin and brown hair, I remembered the time when we all took a family photo together. It was quite a sight; both my parents had a skin shade and hair color similar to mine and Ran, well, let's just say he stood out like a cherry on a chocolate ice-cream. Umm...ice-cream...I'm hungry...

Anyway, the guys were still talking about soccer stuff, until a guy from the opposing school team suddenly made a comment about Ran which caught my attention.

"By the way, who was that redhead?"

I turned to the voice. He does not notice my sudden interest in that matter and continues talking.

"Sure looks like a girl. Does he swing that way? Looks like an easy f..."

I didn't let him continue. I kicked the soccer ball on the floor into his face.

A few minutes later, I found myself outside the principal's office. It seems that the kick was hard enough to knock him out cold. It was quite funny though, the way the soccer ball rolled off his face to reveal a well pressed print of the soccer ball. Wished I had a camera then. I chuckled at the memory.

Back to more practical matters...how the hell am I going to explain to the principal what happened? She's a nice lady, I'm sure she will understand why I was pissed off. I mean, that JERK had the nerve to insult Ran, MY stepbrother AND best friend, and his manhood by calling him a girl! Okay, I admit, when Ran first entered my life I thought he was a female too. I even went to the extend of playing a joke on him on one of his birthdays by giving him a pin which said "I'm a redhead bishoujo" (A/N: Bishoujo means beautiful girl). He paid back by giving me a pin on my birthday later which said "I'm a jerk". Ouch.

Sooo, I was actually more angry at that guy for thinking of Ran as an easy...just recalling the gross, utterly disgusting lustful look on his face (mind you, he's a GUY) makes my blood boil again. I was glad to make him eat soccer ball dirt. Ha!

Back to my dilemma, I was actually more worried about facing the vice-principal. Whenever anyone was sent to the principal's office due to misbehavior, she would always be standing over the principal's shoulder, arms crossed. She has the ability to just make you fear her dreadful presence, and she stares at you as if you've committed a sin against god. She's usually the one who executes the punishment. So what can I say? That I knocked him unconscious because that jerk insulted my friend's manhood? That I just didn't like the look on his face? That it was all for Ran?

Speaking of Ran, here he comes running down the hallway, coming towards me, Prefect tie in a mess. Yes, Mr. Ran the Prefect. Head Prefect actually, leading the school disciplinary board and in charge of the discipline of the whole student body. I thought he was a good choice; very discipline, hard-working, helpful...and of course THAT stare. When someone does something bad, all he needs to do is to fold his arms and give that diamond-piercing stare, and it will melt any student into a pile of goo almost immediately (okay, I'm exaggerating...they just freeze in shock). For the tougher naughty students though, Ran uses his deep, commanding and sexy...wait.

Did I just think Ran's voice was...err...I-I meant err...SHARP, yes, sharp voice to give a suspension threat. (A/N: snicker I'm sure you meant sharp, Kenken) All of them are smart enough to know not to mess with Ran. He DOES have a black belt in karate, not to mention the fact that he is the president of the kendo club...

When he finally reached me (the hallway's too long in my opinion), he told me that he had heard what happened to me and came to help. Ah...what a friend! I just hope this ends quickly; I still have that game starting in half an hour.

We entered the principal's office together, with me praying that the vice-principal suddenly had a heart attack and could not be present. No such luck. She stood behind the principal, giving me her famous stare. She noticed Ran then, her expression softening as she smiled gently at Ran. He is, after all, her best student in class. I sigh as she turned her fierce glare at me again.

I once had a thought of how interesting it would be to watch the vice-principal and Ran face-off in a staring contest. I would be cheering for Ran, of course...but the contest would never happen. Vice-principal totally adores Ran. She sees him as the perfect role model for all the students in the school. She's probably responsible for getting Ran the position of Head Prefect. There were lots of nasty rumors about them too. Like the rumor that Ran was dating her. Eww...he found out about it through me of course. As his best friend, I feel obliged to let him know what others thought of him. I always tell him what I think about too...except telling him that I think he looks like that bishonen Hotohori from Fushigi Yuugi (he hates it when I compare him to others).

Anyway, Miss Vice-principal sees Ran as the perfect role model for all the students in the school (did I mentioned that?). I bet she was the one who taught Ran how to stare like that too. She continued to stare at me. Obviously she still remembers the "incident" six months ago. What happened? Well...

Remember the rumor about Ran dating Miss Vice-principal? Well after I told him about that horrible rumor, I err...kind of joked with him by asking him whether it was true. He glared at me and stormed off. Now to think of it, it was quite cruel of me to doubt him in the first place, even if I was just joking. For a whole week Ran did not talk to me or even acknowledged my presence (which I thought was very impressive, considering that we live in the same house and that he practically sees me all the time). It was probably the most frustrating thing that ever happened to me; ignored by Ran. So after that week I thought of a great plan to get his attention...break all the school rules!

Okay, so it was not a great plan.

Fine! It was a stupid and horrible plan! I got into numerous fights, pissed off all the teachers, and visited the principal's office more often than the school toilet. All that to try and get Ran's attention. Finally I got into this really serious big fight which he had to come personally as Head Prefect to pull me away from. Even my parents were called in. At the end of the day he pulled me to the corner angrily (okay, in reality he actually slammed me into the nearest wall) and we finally talked. After my explanation, we reconciled. He had murmured something about what a baka I was, but I knew he was touched that I would go to such an extend to get his attention.

But it still does not change the fact that I now have a permanent record and the eternal condemnation by the vice-principal. Sigh. Ran tried to ease the tension between Miss I-am-going-to-stare-you-to-death and me by giving a smile to her. Ran, the icy-cold beauty, has the smile of an angel. He uses that angel smile on the teachers and practically on any other adult. Everyone just swoons under it. But I know better. That smile was the "fake courteous" smile, which he never puts his heart into, only having the facade on for his advantage. Only I have seen his genuine smile. I once told him that I could see pass his facade, and that I knew about the fake smile. He blinked numerous times, seemingly shocked. Ha. Then he murmured something about how I could possibly tell with that pea-brain of mine. Humph.

With Ranny's help (of course I don't call him that in his face; he'll kill me with his katana!) I managed to escape with just a two hour detention tomorrow so that I could continue with my match today (really, he should be a lawyer; I told him that too.) I thanked him with a quick hug. Maybe I should have given him some warning first, because he got a shock...is that a blush I see? Oh well...I raced off to the fields, getting there in the nick of time...

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Only fifteen minutes left, the last chance for our team to score a final goal to win the match. I was desperate and anxious, the strain of the game taking its toil on me. The fact that we were on the losing end didn't help either. I felt like giving up.

Ten minutes. Yohji managed to steal the ball from the opposing team, dribbling it across the half way mark.

Five minutes. He passed it to me. I raced my way towards the goal. It was up to me now. (A/N: I know Ken is a goalkeeper in the actual WK, but he is a striker here. This IS as AU fic...) I steal a final glance at the clock.

Two minutes. "Not enough time. Give up," a voice inside my head tempted me. I felt inclined to follow it.

One minute. Then I saw Ran standing at the spectator stand, looking at me. His eyes seemed to pierce my very soul...and something else in his eyes...it gave me strength. I ran faster than I ever did before, dribbling the ball with great skill. I soon outran the rest and faced the goalkeeper...

Thirty seconds. I lifted my right foot back and kicked the soccer ball, sending it flying towards the net.

Time seems to slow down at that moment. The ball flew towards the left corner of the net. The goalkeeper dived to save it.

It went in. The buzzer went off.

We won!

There was a loud cheer from the spectator stand. All my teammates came and hugged me. I was thrown into the air three times then placed on two of my teammates' shoulders and heaved up. They cheered and cheered. From the corner of my eye I saw Ran retreating quietly into the background. I managed to get his attention and mouthed a "thank you" to him. He smiled back.

After the award ceremony, I raced off to find Ran, hugging the trophy in my arms. I wanted to tell him my anxiousness just now, my joy later, everything. I had a habit of telling him everything ever since I was young; I tell him that I hated olives, I tell him that I always fall off my bed sleeping, I tell him that I felt like going to the toilet, I tell him that I want that sports shoes, I tell him that he is cranky, I tell him that my drawer's broken...I tell him a whole range of stuff, most of which had nothing to do with him at all! He never tells me to shut up though; he knows I'm the chatty type. I'm not sure why I am so open to him...I'm just comforted to know that he can hear my every word.

I know he is still in the school; he never goes home without me when it's already so late in the evening (well, there was that period of time when he was angry at me, but humph). I found him at his locker. I gave a sly grin and leaned against his locker.

"You owe me ice-cream," I said, with an amused tone. No way am I letting him off. For the first time Ran the miser will give me a treat! He rolled his eyes at my childishness.

"Let's go," he said in his low monotone, taking my hand. I gripped it tightly as we walked out of school together. Somehow, I knew I wasn't just searching for him for ice-cream.

I was searching for home.

End or TBC?

Author's note: R&R please. Be nice, this is my first Weiss Kreuz AND my first Shonen-ai fic. Constructive comments appreciated.

Oh, here are some parodies (or NG clips)

1. A horny Ken

_Err...I meant...oh come on! With that stunning red hair, those deep amethyst eyes, that angelic, well-chiseled face and perfect pale skin covering his gorgeous body_

Ken: Not to mention sexy and delicious! Oh koi! (pounces on Ran, two start making out on the soccer field)

Author: KENKEN! Get back to the fic! (attempts to separate the two but fail) oh well, it was bound to happen sighs, pulls out a chair and enjoys the yaoi show

2. Farfie hurts god

_and she stares at you as if you've committed a sin against god_

Farfie: jumps outs of nowhere SINS HURT GOD!WAHAHAHAHA

Author: FARFIE! Get out of here! You're not in this fic (pushes him out the door) go stab your blender or something (slams door shut)

Ken: ...why am I doing this?

Author: (rolls eyes) One word. Ran.

Ken: (big grin) oh yeah (dreamy look) koi...

Author: R&R please! Put any questions you have in your reviews or drop me an email

Ken: Onegai! Arigato!

Author: Should I write the sequel first (if I have enough support through reviews though) or the companion fic (which is the whole chapter in Ran's POV) I'll probably call itKen and I or something like that ...or I should put that as chapter 2, then the sequel as chapter 3, in the form of narration? Or should I...

Ran: She's very noisy...

Author: (sticks out tongue)

Ran: (rolls eyes) oh, THAT'S so mature...


	2. Ran lost something! A depressed Ran? Ken...

Ran and I 

By: Hentai Y. Slave

Genre: PG-13, shonen-ai, fluff, humor, AU

Pairing: implied RanXKen so far, will develop later (I hope)

Summary: CHP 2 UP! Follow Ran & Ken's everyday trouble in high school (okay, mostly Ken is the one in the trouble. Ken: Hey!) where they discover love in the craziest way. (AU, fluff, shonen-ai, RanXKen, Ken's POV)

Notes: End or TBC? TBC of course! Hehe, I decided to add another chapter after all (maniac grin) this one's pretty short. I think it won't be as good as the previous chp cause I didn't have a definite draft for this one, just some dialogue (shrugs) Review replies are at the bottom of the fic.

Disclaimer: grumbles I.DO.NOT.OWN.WEISS.KREUZ.OR.ANY.OF.ITS.CHARACTERS. Happy? But I do own this fic. Mwahahaha.

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Chapter 2: Ran lost something! A depressed Ran? Ken to the rescue!

Well, just as I expected, Ran treated me to the cheapest ice-cream that day. That's Ran for you.

It's already a few days after the competition and finally the seemingly endless congrats from the other students are starting to lessen. I know winning the competition is a big deal, and obviously everywhere I go there will be students coming up and congratulating me, giving me a pat on the back, but it soon gets annoying. I have people congratulating me in the canteen, in the classroom, down the hall...even when I'm in the toilet. I think I should buy a tape recorder and record myself saying "Thank you", and replay it several times a day. My tongue's getting numb.

Besides, when groups of students start coming up to me to chat more often, talking about the game, Ran would slip away from my side and lean against the nearest wall, waiting for the crowd to disperseor go off doing 'Important Head-prefect Stuff'. I understand that he hates the huge crowds around me...okay, he hates being with people entirely. It's weird how he can chair prefect meetings with ease, standing in front of all the students but be an introvert and anti-social at the same time. I mean, shouldn't he be easily approachable as a Head-prefect, you know,'the link between students and teachers'? He only talks to others when working on a project or giving instructions. I can't figure it out.

Anyway, I hate it when he just abandons me to the crowds. He probably thinks that I enjoy the publicity, but I actually prefer his companionship more. I know I shouldn't bear a grudge (because he's not doing it on purpose), but it's just annoying how he just assumes that I like the attention. I like HIS attention, not giggling girls or grateful soccer pals hanging around me.

"RING!"

Ah, there goes the school bell that announces that school is over. I head for my locker and shove my stuff inside. I'm almost immediately surrounded by my soccer buddies. We already planned to go out for lunch today, which leaves Ran to walk home alone. As I mentioned, he never goes home without me when I stayed in school till late in the evening (due to my soccer practices), but other than that we don't have any special arrangements. It's either Ran who walks home alone when I go out with my friends, or me who goes jogging home alone when Ran goes for his part time job at the flower shop.

Yes, you've heard it right. Ran works part time in a flower shop after school, when he's free from leadership duties and attending the kendo club. The owner of the shop is a very nice old lady, who sits in the shop most of the time stroking her cat. She lets Ran come in anytime he wants to help out and pays him sufficiently. I think there are mainly three reasons why she gives Ran such flexible working hours. First, she knows how much of a busy person Ran is in school. Secondly, Ran is very, very good at taking care of the flowers; I think she doesn't want to lose such a good florist. Lastly,

Ran brings in the customers. Well, mostly shrieking fan girls of Ran from the school. I mean, with such an attractive man such as Ran as a florist, of course the sales would go up. Hordes of females crowd around the shop buying flowers when Ran is around. Me? Well, I tried to help out there once...but I started tripping over so much stuff, breaking pots etc. that Ran literally kicked me out (I don't blame him; he has to pay for any pots that I break). Strange isn't it? Ken, the excellent-reflex soccer player becomes a clumsy guy out of the field who trips over flower pots. Hehheh.

Well, there are some times when he's not working and I'm free in the afternoon that we walk home together. We don't head home immediately (at least I try to convince him not to head home immediately) and we go for walks and such. Ran rarely requests for me to break my arrangement with my soccer buddies in order to walk home with me in the afternoon. As I head towards the school gate with my soccer buddies, I spot Ran leaning against the gate, waiting for me. I guess this is one of those rare times.

"Ken," Ran's quiet and controlled voice came out, "will you walk home with me today?"

I hesitate for a while. Both Ran and my soccer buddies know how much I enjoy spending time with Ran, and I bet they're all guessing that I'll agree to Ran's request immediately. Looking at Ran, I noticed he had been a bit distracted today, the weariness present in his eyes making me want to ask him privately what was wrong. But I still remember what had goneon these few days, how he unknowingly abandoned me to the crowds. My childish instincts took over and I turned to him.

"Sorry Ran, I'm going out with my friends today. You can walk home yourself," I said almost cruelly to his face. He seems taken aback by my answer, eyes widening in surprise. But he says nothing, just nodding in acknowledgement and turning away, the disappointment clearly present in his eyes to me. He looks so moody today that I almost relented. As he starts down the path to home, my soccer buddies and I turn to the opposite direction, heading to the restaurant for lunch.

Even as I walk amongst my close friends, my thoughts drifted to Ran and the depressed look on his face. He can hide it from the others behind that cold mask, but he can't hide it from me. Something's bothering him today and I am filled with concern and curiosity. What could shake our fearless Head-prefect to the state that he is now? I know he's usually cranky and sarcastic, but not upset! That's not the Ran I have known for ten years!

Very quickly, after just walking down two streets, my worries for Ran takes over me and I hastily apologized to my buddies before running off in Ran's direction. They fully understood and let me go. Great buddies, aren't they? Soon I spotted Ran, practically dragging his feet across the pavement. He barely covered any distance with his slow walking. And if that wasn't enough evidence to show that he was upset, his head was drooping down, not noticing his surroundings and stuck in an overall gloomy mood. I can practically see a dark cloud hovering over his head.

Instead of going up and greeting him, I decided to settle on tailing him from a distance. Man, he's the president of the kendo club for goodness sake! He didn't even sense me with his godlike senses! I'm just a few meters away! Ran crossed the street, hands in his pocket and looking at the ground. A loud honk caught my attention.

That's when I saw it.

A truck was heading Ran's way!

"RAN!" I shouted, running forward and tackling him to the ground, away from the danger. The huge truck sped pass the road, turning at another corner and continued driving off. I would have blushed at the interesting position I am at now, with a dazed Ran pinned below me, but I was too angry at him. I sat up and grabbed Ran by the collar to make him face me.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING? YOU ALMOST GOT KNOCKED DOWN BY A TRUCK!" I screamed at him, my own body shaking with anger and concern. He was so close to a car accident! What if I haven't decided at the last minute to leave my soccer buddies and go after Ran instead? He would have ended up like his sister...I bit my lips at the last thought.

Ran on the other hand, was still not quite aware of the situation, having the wind suddenly knocked out of his lungs by me. He stared at me, then at the road, then at me again. Finally, he hung his head down in shame when he realized his own idiotic behavior. But I was not done with him yet. Not by a long shot.

"Tell me what's wrong Ran. Why are you so depressed? If I haven't come along you would have been knocked down by that truck, just like your..." I couldn't continue. Damn, why did I have to remind him of his family? He looks even more grieve stricken now. Stupid Ken, stupid Ken. I gave a sigh; no point lecturing him anymore now when he's already so upset. I stood up and bent down to help him to his feet.

"Look, I'm sorry I screamed my head off at you. Are you hurt? Do you need help standing?" I asked, letting my concern show and my anger fade away. He shook his head and accepted my arm. Together, we made our way to the playground nearby. I set him down on a swing and inspected him for any injuries. He only has a slight graze on his left knee and a light bruise on his right elbow. Good. Me? I'm not injured at all...Ran WAS lying below me when we crashed (though my throat's a bit sore from shouting at Ran). I sat down on the other swing and turned to face him.

"Now tell me what made you went zombie-walking," I insisted, letting the firmness of my voice show through. Sometimes, you have to be strict to get anything out of that iceberg's mouth. Even at the tone of my voice, he turned his head away. I quickly resisted the urge to strangle him there and then.

"Ran..."

"Hn."

"Well?"

"I..."

"Yes?"

I leaned closer to him in anticipation. Finally, he would tell me what the hell made him all gloomy and sulky. He opened his mouth again.

"I lost my wallet."

I fell off the swing. WHAT? All that trouble for a stupid wallet? It's not even branded! Ran looked on wide eyed at my reaction, a bit of amusement on his face. Again, I controlled the urge to strangle him. Instead, I settled down on a more comfortable position on the swing and looked at him.

"So how much money did you have in it?" I asked, letting the bitterness of my voice show. Really, I expected something more important to fizz my pal. Guess money really IS his number one. He blinked at my question.

"I didn't have any money inside," he whispered. Is that his face reddening?

"Then what? A diamond ring worth fortunes?" I retorted sarcastically. Honestly, someday I'll have to...

"NO, YOUR PICTURE'S INSIDE, YOU BAKA!" He blurted out angrily, giving me a deadly glare. He realized what he had just said and turned away again.

I blinked, almost falling back down again, first at his outburst then at his words...My picture? I stared at Ran incredulous.

Then I remembered. It was a photograph of me taken three years ago at the school sports meet. The camera was taken from my head and to my shoulders, the field as a background, with me smiling and holding a medal. It was placed in the school magazine that year. That night, I saw Ran cutting the picture out of the magazine and putting it into his wallet. When I asked him why he kept the picture in his wallet at that time, he answered that he wanted a picture of me around him all the time...because he wanted to use my ugly face to ward off evil spirits. I still remembered how I chased him around the house angrily at that time. The nerve of him...

"It's the only photograph I have of the two of us," Ran added quietly.

Huh? He's in the picture too? I thought for a moment, and then realized that Ran WAS in the picture. He had accidentally walked pass as the photograph was taken, and thus the side view of his face showed up in the far background. Thinking back, I never DID have a proper picture taken with Ran. The only one was the family photo taken with my parents in it...

Ran still refused to look in my direction. I couldn't help it; I grinned like a maniac. I was really touched; he was upset losing a picture of US. I'm so happy to know that he treasures our friendship so much. I knew that under that ice facade there was a soft heart. I started chuckling. Ran turned to look at me with a surprised look, hearing my chuckle. Looking at his expression, I started laughing. Affected by me, he started chuckling too. Soon, the two of us broke into loud laughter, looking like two idiots in a playground.

It was a full minute before I calmed myself down, wiping the tears that had flown out due to my intense laughing. Ran was also starting to calm down. Though surprised at the sound Ran's laughter, I was glad to hear it. I decided that I liked the sound of his laughter, feeling the urge to hear more of it. I gave a wide grin as an idea popped into my head. I grabbed Ran's left arm and pulled him up.

"Come on," I said, tugging the sleeve of his shirt before running off. He seemed surprised at my sudden actions, but still ranby my side.

"Where are we going?" He asked. I just gave him a wide smile.

"You'll see."

Soon we arrived at the photo shop. I bought an instant camera and two rolls of film. I dragged him everywhere, to the parks, the playground, the lakes, the gardens and even back to school. We took tons of photos of each other, and I bugged lots of passersby to take photos of both of us together. I made us do lots of positions; standing up, sitting down, lying down etc. By evening, we had finished both rolls of film. I bought another two more for further use at home. It was exhausting; Ihad lookedlike a stupid tourist and I'mprobably turning blind due to all the flashes, but it was one of the most amazing times of my life. I'm sure Ran enjoyed it too; I've never seen him smile that much in my life.

At one part of our 'photo-taking session' a student of our school had came forward. She handed Ran's wallet back to him, saying that she found it in the hallway and was trying to find a chance to return it back to him. Ran thanked her profusely and checked his wallet to make sure nothing was missing. After she waved goodbye and walked off, I gave Ran's head a small knock, reprimanding him lightly. He gave a sheepish smile. I swear, he's such a kid sometimes.

That night, I took out two picture frames that I kept in my drawer and slipped two of the photos of us taken earlier in each frame. The first one was taken in front of the lake, with my left arm around Ran's shoulder, smiling and giving a 'V' sign with my right hand. Ran was next to me, giving a small smile and has his right arm around my waist. The second one has Ran alone sitting cross-legged on the grass, giving the camera a nice, shy smile. It's one of my favorite pictures taken. I set both frames on the small table beside my bed, so that I can look at the two pictures everyday before I sleep. Lying on my bed, I leaned over and took the framed photo of Ran, looking at his smile.

"Goodnight Ran," I whispered to the photo, putting the frame back on its rightful position on the table top, switching off the lights and drifting off to a pleasant dream.

End or TBC?

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Author's notes: Okay, so it's NOT as short as it was intended to be. Well, there goes another chp...I should have the companion fic up shouldn't I? Ken ken's getting all the attention.

Ran: Hn.

Author: (sarcastic) wow, I DID NOT expected that reply from Mr. Monotone. Anyways, before I dive into the review replies, I just want to say that it was the reviews I received so far that encouraged me to continue writing. So for those who read chp 1 and wished for me to continue, you have to thank the reviewers of chp1.

Ran & Ken: (claps)

Author: Ahem, here goes

To toriko: Thanks for being my first reviewer, it's always special to be the first 0 well, I think I will continue writing this fic until I run out of ideas. I make sure every chp ends in a good way, so that I can lurk off for a while without people throwing stones at me for leaving a cliff hanger. It doesn't matter whether you call me slave or H.S. or whatever, but I prefer people calling me slave-chan in reviews though. I like the sound of it

To Manx16: Well, this is the next chp. The previous chp is not related / continued from the previous chp. This fic is just a series of events, which makes them more aware of their feelings (this IS fluff 0) thanks for your review! I appreciate it!

To RuByMoOn17: thanks for reviewing I'll try to update as often as I can. I'm bad at typing. Slow fingers .

To olivia-yuymaxwell: Glad u found this cute. I was afraid I won't get any reviews!

To silly goose: (hides) oh..no..puppy..eyes..can't..resist glomp hehe thanks for liking it so much. It's hard to think this fic will be good compared to the fics written by so many other wonderful authors

To kage Miko: sequel? I didn't say this was a one shot, so I can add chps as I like. Brillant? (bathes in praise) wow..

Ran: (hits author off cloud nine with mallet)

Author: Itai! RAN!

To Aika-chan: Me, awesome writer? (bathes in praise again)

Ran: (prepares mallet)

Author: Er heh heh, nice Ranny..anyway Aika-chan, I see you have spotted what I intended to do with this fic: write each chp so I can end it that way or continue. I have the power, Mwahahaha

Ran: (stares)

Author: (cowers)

To Santurion: No need to be sorry , I tend to get very excited when I read a good fic too. I think I even threatened some author to cont before (jokingly of course)

To Jin Munku-JGSPTV: wow, very hard to type your nickname. Actually, I have a pretty good idea on how to cont this fic. That ice-cream event has ended, but as I mentioned there MIGHT be a companion fic which will be Ran's POV of what happened in this fic.

Author: DONE! (throws confetti) Finally, R&R pls!

Ran: she means read and review

Author: I'm sure they all know that... Ran-CHAN (runs off)

Ran: HOW DARE YOU CALL ME RAN-CHAN! SHI-NE! (chases)


	3. Ken needs a shirt! Ran takes a bath! Ope...

Ran and I

By: Hentai Y. Slave

Genre: PG-13, shonen-ai, fluff, humor, AU

Pairing: implied RanXKen so far, will develop later (I hope)

Summary: WOW! CHP 3! Follow Ran & Ken's everyday trouble at home and in school (okay, mostly Ken is the one in the trouble. Ken: Hey!) where they discover love in the craziest way. (AU, fluff, shonen-ai, RanXKen, Ken's POV)

Notes: Thanks to everyone who waited so patiently :) I'm still schooling and can only write fics after my exams each year, which end around this time of the year... (looks through YELLOW FOLDER OF FIC IDEAS and picks one) Ahh...the 'ken sees naked aya' scenario. Read lots of them, but never get tired of them. I think my aim of this chp is to make ken realize he not only feels brotherly admiration for Ran. Hehhehheh

Ran: (looks through YELLOW FOLDER OF FIC IDEAS) Did you realize that most of your ideas for this fic doesn't revolve around the high school?

Author: eh... oops?

Disclaimer: grumbles I.DO.NOT.OWN.WEISS.KREUZ.OR.ANY.OF.ITS.CHARACTERS. Happy? But I do own this fic. Mwahahaha.

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Chapter 3: Ken needs a shirt! Ran takes a bath! Open doors?

Ran's room and my room are side by side, located on the second floor of the house. What's special about these two rooms is that there is a connecting door built in the wall separating our rooms, which would have allowed me to go in and out of his room easily. 'Would have' because Ran had insisted on keeping it locked, reasoning that it was to protect his privacy...and to prevent me from spreading 'heaps of junk' as he called it from my room to his. Hmph. Sometimes I just want to clobber him.

So my room is a little untidy. Fine, fine, it is always very messy, looking like 'a hurricane had ran through it' as my mum said. But come on, I am a normal guy, and normal guys always have messy rooms for mothers to nag at to tidy up. Well in my case it is a certain redhead that constantly nags at me to tidy it up instead...

He kept the connecting door locked, but that lock doesn't stop ME from entering his room, no soiree. Just a little picking with a paper clip does the trick. How did I learn how to pick a lock you ask. Well, my locker in school is one of the older ones, which takes forever to open because the lock is quite rusty. Taking the advise of fellow locker mates, I use a paper clip to force the locker open instead. Now, after a right amount of practice, I could easily open the stubborn locker myself. The connecting door's lock is much easier to pick then my locker's lock. Smart, aren't I? Ran doesn't know I can do that of course.

And no, I am not some pervert who sneaks into my best friend-cum-brother's room everyday. Geez. I just occasionally need to sneak in sometimes to borrow stuff without him knowing. Little stuff like stationary, clothes and...well stuff. It's too bothersome to ask him, and I always return it before he even realizes. I only have a need to sneak in for a few times. And this is one of those times.

I was invited to a party tonight held at one of my soccer buddies' house. Looking through my closet, I realized that all my shirts were either not suitable for the party or wore too many times. Then I remembered the really nice black shirt that Ran had bought the other day when I went shopping with him (Ok, more like I pestered him to buy it because he looked nice in it.). That would do. We wear almost the same size and I bet he won't even notice it was gone. On nights like these Ran would just take a shower, and then read a book on his bed till he falls asleep. I could wear it tonight, then wash it, and then put it back. He rarely goes out unless he's going to school or the flower shop, and since he is not working over the weekend he'll just stay at home. (Heck, I had to DRAG him out just for some fresh air!)

Just then, I hear the sound of running water coming from his room as he takes his nightly shower. Ah ha! A chance! I quickly picked at the lock with my trusty paper clip, before sliding into his room. I have to be really quiet, because our kendo master has a very keen sense of hearing (and a very sharp katana too. Eep!) Looking around his room, I am again astounded for a moment at the sheer cleanness of his room. No matter how many times I enter his room (invited or not) I would be caught in awe at how neat it is. Everything was placed in perfect order, without a speck of dust. He even arranged his books in alphabetical order. Geez. Most of the time when we were hanging out we would be in the living room or my room, never his room. Well, there used to be rare times when we spent time in his room...until that day when I, well, uh accidentally broke his favorite vase when I was alone in there cause he went to the kitchen to get a snack. Oops.

He knew that I did not did it on purpose, (hey if I did it on purpose do you think I would still be alive?) so he just glared at my puppy-eye expression for a while. It WAS an ugly vase anyway. After that, there seemed to be an unspoken rule established about me entering his room. Minus 1 point for me. Anyway (I REALLY have to stop spacing out), I tiptoed to the closet and opened the top drawer. Yes! There it was, shining brightly and seemingly calling out to me to take it to the party. Heh heh. I grabbed it and turned around.

That's when I noticed Ran's bathroom door was open.

I guess since he thought both doors were locked he had no qualms about keeping the bathroom door open. I found myself standing rooted to the ground, eyes locked at the sight of Ran standing in the bath, letting the water run down his body as he washed himself. The only thing preventing me from seeing his naked body was the thin shower drape, but the damn cloth was so translucent I could make out his lean muscular built. I caught my reflection on a mirror and found that my face was red. I was...blushing? I backed off clumsily and my feet connected with a chair, knocking it down.

Oops.

He heard the sound of course, giving a slightly startled jump. I myself made a small "eep" sound. I saw his left hand reach for a towel to wrap around his lower half of the body as the other hand reached for his katana. Within seconds he had ran out of the shower, katana ready. He almost dropped his sword when he saw that it was just me.

If I was blushing red just now I think I am close to fainting now. Ran's right hand was holding his katana, which left his towel to be held loosely by his left hand only. The towel hung dangerously loose around his hips, exposing his long legs where the towel could not cover. His perfect pale chest heaved up and down due to his heavy breathing. Water continued to drip off his hair, making it glitter. He stood close enough for me to smell the nice lavender scented soap he uses.

The sight was very entrancing to me and I found myself staring at this beautiful creature in front of me.

Our eyes met for a moment as I took in his confused expression.

"What...how..." the beautiful creature said. He looked at me, then at the door, back at me, and then finally rested his gaze on the connecting door. The opened connecting door. With a paper clip in the lock. That made me snapped out of my trance.

Uh oh. He knows.

He glared at me. I gave a nervous chuckle.

"Ehh...can I borrow your shirt?" I explained lamely, lifting up the shirt for him to see. Bad move, cause he narrowed his eyes at me. Damn, he looks even sexier like that...

Wait. Did I just thought he was...

I ran back to my room without a word through the connecting door, shutting it behind me. Words died in my throat as I reflected on what I saw back there.

The towel hung loosely around his waist. His pale muscular body glistening as it dripped with water. His ruffled hair and confused expression. The sexy way he narrows his eyes.

I feel my heart pounding in my chest.

What the hell...

End or TBC?

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Author's notes:

Author: (stares at Ran)...You bring your katana to the shower?

Ran: ...Why not?

Author: Fine. Guess what? I have 34 reviews so far! (faints in happiness)

Ken: (pokes author's fainted body)

Author: (wakes up) thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou. Here are my review replies:

To:

Kage Miko - (bows back) oh, pls don't bow to me! Em..thank you for your praise! still in shock fic getting so much support

Denisse - umm... I don't understand your language sweatdrop I'm sorry, I only know English and Chinese.. but I guess you're asking about a lemon right? Well...sorry to disappoint you and everyone else hoping for a lemon, but I can't...no...I DON'T know how to write a lemon. You should check out the other fics for lemons

KoOokai - thank you for your praise. I for one think that Ran is just shy beneath his cold exterior. It's just so sweet! Hurry up and make Ken his you ask... well, it's going to take a while but it should be soon. No promises though.

Seph Lorraine - hehheh, how could I bear to leave this with so many reviews coming in! Guess what, your fav moments are my fav moments too! Never eat chocolates shock What have I done! The horror! Btw, speaking of chocolate, I recommend you the fic "Weiss are like a box of chocolates" by Hentai Slave. This person IS ME. Yeah, just another user name of mine. You can find the author's name under search.

Jin Munku-JGSPTV – yay, at least I know one of my previous reviewer has read the replies I painstakingly typed. I have thought of writing the ice-cream scenario you mentioned, but there's quite a lot of fics on that already, so I don't think I should do it. Yup, I am writing more, but you have to be patient.

Li Alura - thinksIt seems that I have lots of reviewers liking Ran's response of buying a house and marrying ken. Maybe I should expand that part in Ran's mind once I get the companion fic back anyways, I'm a screaming fangirl myself. Hehe.

Prodigy-13 - thank you! I guess you're a Nagi fan right? Me too! (waves Nagi banner)

silly goose - glad you came to read this (nearly chokes on glomp&puppy eyes attack, but happy everyone seems to describe this fic as cute). Hn.

Santurion - you know, this lost picture thing was actually one the last ideas I came up with. It seems suitable enough, so I put it as chp 2

Drea Kaiba - best use of fluff! Wow, you don't know how much that praise means to m, THANKS! glomps Err, I can't really e-mail you anytime soon. I'm quite busy, with life and writing. But if anyone who really likes my fics e-mail me instead, I'll guarantee to reply.

olivia-yuymaxwell - thanks for reviewing again . I really appreciate every review.

kagusai gummie - installment? wow, nice word. Well, here's the next chp

toriko - (glomps) ohhh, thanks for reviewing again! And you called me slave-chan! You have to be one of my fav reviewers! Wow, maybe you can predict the future; how did you know I was going to get dense ken to realize his feelings? You're absolutely right btw, Ran DID put the picture in his wallet because he loves Ken. He's just shy to admit it.

Ken: One, two, three

All: Awwwwwww

Anyway, E-mail me sometime ok? And I'll tell you what I have in stored (just briefly)

dragon dreams - thanks . I think I liked chp 2 the best

Kite - aww, don't cry! Thanks for the support!

Aika-chan - I hope there wasn't anyone important over the phone :p

Ranny Boy - you know what, I've thought of cosplaying as ken too, but gluhen ken. If I spot a Ran when that happens I'll definitely glomp him (nods vigorously)

Ran: (tries to get Ranny Boy off) Let go of my foot!

Author:-) (clings on to other foot)

Ran: 0.0

HisAngel - I wrote this story in ken's pov cause I've read a lot of such fics and I looooooved them. And yup, I liked the second chap better...

Amatsu - umm don't cry. I know it's a long wait but here's the next chp.

Penguin - ... I'm not sure when I'm finishing this though. I'm running out of ideas!

Vault 713 - well, ken won't leave ran when he knows something's wrong. I was also cheering as I wrote how ken turned back

Line - hehheh that was one of my favorite parts too. I love it when ran makes some comment to piss ken off. I can just see ken chasing after him around the house when he teases him

Nataku - hmm I don't think I intend on having anyone in the fic being offended by the two. I like nice fluff with nice endings.

Rie - you know I was shocked when I read your review. You took notice that it's been a year! Well, I just entered a new school and the year has been all about studying, no time for fics till year end. That's why all my fics (including those under another name) are written around this time.

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Author: YAY! Finished replying! R&R pls!

Ken: Or she won't continue.

Author: Yup.(pats Ken) Nice kenken.

Ken: Then will I get a lemon with Ran? (looks on hopefully)

Author: Nope. Don't know how to write one. Fluff and humour are my category

Ken: Darn (goes to beg other authors to write RanXKen lemons)


	4. X’mas shopping! Dinner? Orange sweater? ...

Ran and I

By: Hentai Y. Slave

Genre: PG-13, shonen-ai, fluff, humor, AU

Pairing: implied RanXKen so far, will develop later (I hope)

Summary: (Chp 4! X'mas Special) Follow Ran & Ken's everyday trouble at home and in school (okay, mostly Ken is the one in the trouble. Ken: Hey!) where they discover love in the craziest way. (AU, fluff, shonen-ai, RanXKen, Ken's POV)

Notes: Eh hehheh...this was supposed to be for X'mas last year... didn't come around to do it...how embarrassing. Oops? Anyways..i don't know much about this holiday butit just seem sweet to do such a fic. Yup. I'm blabbering again, aren't I?

Disclaimer: grumbles I.DO.NOT.OWN.WEISS.KREUZ.OR.ANY.OF.ITS.CHARACTERS. Happy? But I do own this fic. Mwahahaha.

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Chapter 4: X'mas shopping! Dinner? Orange sweater? Mistletoe.

Yay! It's Christmas!

I sound like a kid right? Well, I'm behaving like one too. I am currently sitting restlessly, also known as fidgeting, on the sofa waiting for Ranny to get ready for our Christmas morning grocery shopping. I tap my feet against the floor restlessly, humming a Christmas song that I remembered hearing from the radio last night during our family's Christmas Eve dinner.

Every year, on Christmas Eve night, our whole family would sit down together to have our Christmas dinner. My mum would cook a huge Christmas feast for the whole family to enjoy. It's a nice, quiet family affair where it's just the four of us sitting around the dining table amidst the soft music and candle lights, chatting, joking etc. After dinner, my parents would fly off to some other country to have some "quality couple time". They had booked a pair of plane tickets overseas for themselves as early as September. It's like their annual honeymoon thing. Sweet isn't it? The best part, of course, was the fact that Ran and I would have the whole house to us for a whole week. No parental supervision for one whole week!

And yes, like any other teenager, I would have whooped with joy and started planning the parties, the late night sleepovers, the stuffing of junk food while watching soccer matches and all the other fun guy stuff that would eventually turn the house upside down.

And of course my parents, being all-so-knowing, would have known that I would turn the house upside down the moment they're gone. So, you may ask, why did they think it was safe to leave me at home?

Well, because Ran-not-like-any-other-teenager, will always be placed in charge every year, and will supervise me on behalf of my parents.

Damn.

"Now Ran, you take care of your brother and makes sure he behaves himself. You know how he is..." our mum had said yesterday night, suitcase in hand and ready to go.

"Hey!" I protested from my sprawled out position on the couch. If I remember correctly I was channel surfing. Damn Sports channel was not playing any soccer matches last night. I pressed the remote buttons with vengeance.

"Yes mother," Ran replied politely as usual.

"Good boy. Here's the money for the week" mum said, handling a small package of money to Ran.

That would be the sum of money my parents would set aside for us each year as our week's expenditure. It covers everything, from allowance to meals to bills. Knowing that I will probably spend it all on parties and junk food, they leave Ran in charge of it. You can practically see the malice glint in his eyes as he takes the money with both hands. I mentally groaned. It was suicidal for me to even try and pry money from that cheapskate. It is not that bad though; on Christmas mornings every year, Ran and I would head off to the supermarket to get our groceries for the week. Since it is just the start of the week, he will be less strict (less possessive would be more accurate description) with the money and let me buy more stuff. Heh heh.

Ah hah! Here comes Ranny... and he is wearing the orange sweater I knitted for him for Christmas! I had a hard time learning and actually knitting it though...I kept on getting pricked by the damn needle. But remembering the look on his face, and the brilliant smile he gave me made it all worth it. Sure, the sleeves were too short and of unequal length, but he seemed to like the sweater anyway. And he got around with that problem too...he folded them until they were somewhere mid arm. Nice.

I jumped up from the sofa just as he finishes his descent of the stairs, giving him a big goofy grin. I love grocery shopping. Since he is not picky with food, I usually get to decide what to buy, as long as I get his approval. Which is of course relatively easy once I start giving him puppy-eye looks. I try not to push my luck though; he gets to keep the remaining amount of money left at the end of the week and will not be happy if I buy too much. Humph.

He graced me with a small smile and gestured to the door. I half jogged, half sprinted to the car. I sat down quickly in the passenger seat of my dad's white Porsche, hands automatically going to the radio to find a nice song to listen too. I find a cheery Christmas song just as Ran gets into the driver seat. My dad only lets Ran drive the vehicle since he cannot trust me to drive at normal speed. I don't really mind though; I prefer driving my bike and feeling the wind in my face as I reach high speeds. It was a thrill I enjoy enormously, hearing the engine roar into life as I take multiple sharp turns. The Porsche's engine was too quiet and smooth for my liking. It was more suited for someone like Ran who enjoys a quiet, safe drive. He's so boring sometimes. I sat back and listened to the radio as Ran drives us to the grocery store.

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Whee!

I started wheeling the trolley around as soon as I got a hold of it, ignoring the stares of disapproving mothers and Ran's quiet protests. I stopped only at the snacks section, quickly filling a third of the cart with bags of chips. Ran gives me a disapproving look at my choice of junk food, but says nothing otherwise. He knows that I am already cutting down on the amount of junk food I usually prefer. Besides, these chips were cheap.

We pushed the trolley to the meat section, where I started telling Ran what kind of meat I felt like eating. It is not that Ran does not know my preference in food; it is just that my taste for a certain food changes every other day, too quickly for his liking. He picks a few that I mentioned, plus some of my all time favorites before pushing the trolley to the next section. I grinned at his consideration and started to follow him, until I realized he was heading for the veggie section.

As much as Ran dotes on me, he still insists that I eat healthily. As much as I dislike vegetables, he will still cook them for me to eat, fussing over me like mum does. I giggled at the mental image of him as a fussy mother. He raises a delicate eyebrow at my sudden laughter, mumbling an "I don't even want to know" before starting to choose the vegetables. I wandered away from him; he takes such a long time choosing them that I can't help but do that every year. I went to ogle at the ice-cream section and the nice little Christmas trees on sale. I found myself at the chocolate section next.

It was then that I felt a tug at my pants. I looked down to see a sweet little girl around the age of eight, wearing a frilly pink dress. Her hair was tied into two ponytails, held by little red ribbons. How cute.

"Onii-san, can you help take the Pocky?" She asked sweetly, pointing to somewhere near the top shelf where she could not reach. I gave her a big smile and patted her head affectionately. I love kids.

The Pocky in mentioned was actually place on the top shelf of that section, far too high for me to reach. I mentally cursed the idiot for putting the Pocky at such a high shelf. Luckily, I spotted a small stool somewhere to my right. I brought it over and stepped on it, fingers barely brushing the packet. The little girl started cheering for me. I tiptoed on the stool and finally got a hold of it. She squealed in delight.

That was when I had a klutz attack. Till now I still can't figure out how I could lose my balance stepping down a stool, but it happened. The Pocky went flying out of my hand as I started falling backwards. I heard a small shriek from the girl as I prepared for the inevitable. I closed my eyes and braced myself to have my behind crushed into the hard...

...warm floor? Wait a minute...

I snapped my eyes open and looked up to see a pair of deep amethyst eyes staring at me. Ran had somehow appeared at my side and caught me, hands clutching my arms and chest pressing against my back. I was practically leaning into him, the intimate closeness allowing his lavender scent to invade my nose, triggering a memory not so long ago...

_The towel hung dangerously loose around his hips, exposing his long legs where the towel could not cover. His perfect pale chest heaved up and down due to his heavy breathing. Water continued to drip off his hair, making it glitter. He stood close enough for me to smell the nice lavender scented soap he uses._

As soon as he released me I found myself having to look away. I couldn't face him, not when I know that I was blushing hotly. Ever since that incident, I cannot help but start blushing if I stand close enough to smell him. That incident triggered a lot of questions in my mind, the most disturbing being whether my affections for him were beyond simple friendship and brotherly affections.

Strangely enough, Ran did not pursue the matter of me breaking into his room and...well everything else. He even left the connecting door unlocked from now on. Despite so, I never used the door again. Just looking at it made me recall the mental image that was stuck in my head. And the feelings it evoked. What do I feel for him, really?

I took a few deep breaths and turned around, finally ready to face Ran. He was not looking at me though; he was squatting in front of the little girl and handling her the Pocky with a bright smile. She smiled and thanked him, doing the same for me before running off to her mother. Ran stared after her, eyes filled with affection and...

...sadness? Ah yes, the girl had her hair done in two ponytails, the way Ran's sister, Aya, used to tie hers. My heart bled for this man before me as I watched his eyes become hollow for a moment, obviously recalling his real family's misfortunes. I wanted to run forward and give him a huge hug, but something tells me that it might be better to let him be.

It was then that he felt my gaze on him and turned back to look at me. He gave me a reassuring smile, his internal turmoil having passed as quickly as it came. My heart was caught in my throat as I took in the look that was clearly present to me in his eyes.

_What do I feel for him, really? _

The affectionate, caring and concerned look that was normally reserved only for his sister in the past, that I saw in the photos I see of him and Aya. And now for me.

_What do I feel for him, really?_

I was drawn to his smile, legs moving forward on their own accord to stand in front of him. He stands up too, his smile slightly faltering as he takes in the serious expression that must have been on my face. It was then that I caught sight of a Christmas decoration that hung directly over our heads.

A mistletoe.

Ran notices it as well and meets my glance. To others, his eyes might look expressionless and cold, but to me, it was filled with warm, overflowing concern and perhaps everlasting...

...love?

_What do I feel for him, really? _

Whatever it is that I feel for him, whether it has really evolved into something else closer does not matter anymore. I recalled the hollowness in his eyes when he thought of his dead family. To others, he might be a solid ice-statue, with a deadly glare, but to me, he was as fragile as thin ice.

I can't risk the stability of our friendship just because of a few stray thoughts that I have. If he doesn't feel whatever I might feel now it will only cause unnecessary pain and sorrow for him. I cannot hurt him. He means too much to me.

_What do I feel for him, really? _

I stepped away from the mistletoe and pushed the trolley to the cashier. I gave him a warm smile, even as I was burrowing my own feelings deep down. For a moment I thought I saw a flicker of disappointment in his eyes before it went back to its usual warmth.

I must have imagined it.

End or TBC?

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Author's notes: I'm quite happy the shopping part came out quite well...even if it got a bit angst...In case you are unaware of the significance of the mistletoe... If I am not mistaken, if a guy and a girl stand below a mistletoe, they get to kiss. Right?

Hmm... I noticed all my fic titles are all three-word liners. Ran and I, By Your Bed, A Snowy Visit...nvm

By the way pleeeeeeease read A Snowy visit! I'm not getting as much reviews for that fic, ne?

Ran: Maybe that's because the fic is lousy.

Author: Ran's a meanie. Time for review replies!

To:

Chitoshiya no Tohma - thanks for reviewing

Bhidaka - heh thanks for the support! I hope this chapter is better.

RoseRed5 - oh well, my summary isn't very good. . Maybe that's why you didn't feel like reading this b4 .

Kirei Aya - well, here's the update! I'm running out of ideas though :p but I might start on the companion fic. No promises though :p

Rie - huh? What are you apologizing for? I am grateful you r still reading this fic:p School went well, thanks 4 your concern :) I love my school very very much XD

farfie fan - heh I think farf rocks too ;)

silly goose - XD thank you so much! I'm glad I made your day! Can I have a kenken plushie too? Pleeease! Hope you did well for your exams and research papers :)

siberianblume - oh thank you so much (bows back) your review was actually the one that reminded me to write this chapter!

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Author: That's it for now. Please review! You can ask any questions you have for me in your reviews too :3


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